European Animal Research Association

21/08/2026

Magnetic nanoparticles improve Parkinson's symptoms in mice 🧲🧠

Researchers at Friedrich Alexander University, Germany developed microscopic injectable magnetic particles that stimulate nerve cells when exposed to a magnetic field outside the body.

Injected into a brain region that helps control movement, the particles improved balance and coordination in healthy mice and significantly improved movement in mice with Parkinson's-like symptoms, without the need for brain surgery.

Learn more: 🔗 https://www.eara.eu/news/magnetic-nanoparticles-improve-parkinsons-symptoms-in-mice

Researchers in Germany developed magnetic nanoparticles that improved movement in mice with Parkinson’s symptoms. Parkinson’s disease affects around 10 million people worldwide and is caused by the gradual loss of nerve cells that produce dopamine, a chemical messenger that helps coordinate move...

19/08/2026

Single amino acid improves immune responses in mice 🧬

Researchers at The Rockefeller University found that a diet enriched with arginine, an amino acid reduced in ageing and depleted in colon cancer and viral infections, protected mice against intestinal cancer and infections including flu and COVID-19.

Mice fed an arginine-rich diet developed fewer large intestine tumours and responded better to infections, with milder symptoms and improved outcomes even when given arginine after influenza infection.

Learn more: 🔗 https://www.eara.eu/news/single-amino-acid-improves-immune-responses-in-mice

18/08/2026

Implant improves ovarian cancer treatment in mice 🐁

Researchers at EARA member the University of Galway have designed a flexible implant that sits in the abdominal cavity and can be refilled with chemo- or immunotherapies through a small port under the skin.

Tested in female mice with human ovarian tumours, the device delivered weekly doses of an experimental immunotherapy combining natural killer (NK) cells with IL-15, improving tumour control and survival compared with standard injections into the abdominal cavity.

Learn more: 🔗 https://www.eara.eu/news/implant-improves-ovarian-cancer-treatment-in-mice

Researchers in Ireland have developed an implant that releases therapeutic agents and monitors tumour response in mice with ovarian cancer, potentially improving how this cancer is treated. Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and usually requires surgery followed by drug treatment...

13/08/2026

Baker's yeast improves immune response to cancer in mice 🐁

Researchers at Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin, both EARA members, found that a dietary supplement made from baker's yeast boosted the body's ability to fight cancer and slowed tumour growth in obese mice.

Obesity weakens the immune system, hindering cancer immunotherapy, and some immune issues persist even after weight loss. Beta-glucan, a natural fibre in baker's yeast, was found to reprogramme early-stage immune cell development in the bone marrow of mice, restoring their ability to respond to tumours as if they were not obese.

"A simple dietary supplement could help boost the immune system's cancer-fighting ability, complementing existing treatments such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy," said lead author Frederick Sheedy.

Learn more: 🔗 https://www.eara.eu/news/bakers-yeast-improves-immune-response-to-cancer-in-mice

Researchers in Ireland showed that a dietary supplement made from baker’s yeast boosted the body’s ability to fight cancer and slowed tumour growth in obese mice. Obesity weakens the immune system, hindering cancer immunotherapy. Even after weight loss, some immune issues persist, prompting rese...

12/08/2026

Mouse study reveals immune cell behaviour during sepsis 🔬

A study by researchers at University of Calgary, an EARA member, has shown how immune cells form life-threatening clusters during sepsis – and pointed to a drug that could improve treatment.

Using live microscopy, the team found that immune cells in the lungs of mice with E. coli-induced sepsis move in a coordinated way that resembles bird murmuration. By analysing the size, shape, speed and direction of these cells with bioinformatics, they identified 18 different clusters of behaviour involved in the cellular swarms.

Treating the mice with an asthma drug that blocks a protein involved in inflammation stopped certain cells from forming clogs, allowing them to resolve the infection – a promising lead for future sepsis treatment.

Learn more: 🔗 https://www.eara.eu/news/mouse-study-reveals-immune-cell-behaviour-during-sepsis

A study in Canada, combining mice and bioinformatics, unveiled how immune cells form life-threatening clusters during sepsis and pointed to a drug that could improve treatment. Sepsis is an overwhelming infection response and one of the most frequent causes of death worldwide. While the immune respo...

11/08/2026

New AI may speed up science and optimise animal use 🤖

A new opinion article in Stanford Medicine News looks at agentic AI – an advanced form of artificial intelligence that can support researchers in almost every stage of research.

“In my lab, we use them in almost every stage of our research,” said Stanford Medicine researcher James Zou, describing how the tools help with everything from refining research ideas to reviewing manuscripts.

By improving experimental design and providing advanced computational data before animal studies are needed, agentic AI could support more targeted use of animals in research. A separate Q&A from Penn State researcher Dajiang Liu highlights the growing need for interdisciplinary collaboration, while noting that AI “should not be viewed as a substitute for rigorous science”.

Learn more: 🔗 https://www.eara.eu/news/new-ai-may-speed-up-science-and-optimise-animal-use

An opinion article in Stanford Medicine News, by science writer Hanae Armitage, discussed the use of an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology in science, called agentic AI, that can support researchers in almost every stage of research, potentially optimising animal needs in research. The...

10/08/2026

Safe dye highlights ureters in mice and pigs during surgery 💉

Researchers at The University of Hong Kong have developed a fluorescent dye that keeps the ureters visible for several hours during surgery in mice and pigs, potentially reducing accidental injury.

Ureters can be difficult to see during surgery, and existing fluorescent dyes often bind to other tissues, break down quickly or leave the body too fast to be reliable. The new dye, SID-788, stays in the urinary system and clearly highlighted the ureters for four to five hours in mice and pigs - long enough for most abdominal and pelvic surgeries - while working with imaging systems already used in hospitals.

"The development of SID-788 serves as a compelling example of integrating fundamental innovation with translational research," said lead author Hongjie Dai.

Learn more: 🔗 https://www.eara.eu/news/safe-dye-highlights-ureters-in-mice-and-pigs-during-surgery

Researchers in China have developed a fluorescent dye that keeps the ureters visible for several hours during surgery in mice and pigs, potentially reducing accidental injury. The ureters – small tubes of muscle that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder – can be difficult to see during su...

07/08/2026

Chronic , including diabetic foot ulcers, burns and traumatic injuries, affect millions of people and place a major burden on healthcare systems.

Researchers from the Imperial College London have developed a wound dressing that accelerates healing by using the body’s own repair proteins, improving wound healing in mice and enhancing tissue repair in lab-grown human skin.

Magdalene Ho, first author of the study published in Nature Materials, said: “What excites me most is that this works in living human skin. We can see repair cells migrating into the wound dressing and confirm the material is engaging with human biology. That result makes me optimistic that this approach has a future in the clinic.”

Read more: https://www.eara.eu/news/biological-wound-dressing-improves-healing-in-rats-mice-and-human-cells

05/08/2026

Excessive sweating is estimated to affect two to five per cent of the population and has been associated with malfunction of sweat glands. Yet, the condition has been neglected.

Researchers from the EARA member VUB - Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine, US, sequenced the genes of more than 180 US patients with a hereditary form of the condition.

Using mice and patient samples, the team discovered a genetic cause for excessive sweating, which can reduce the stigma around the condition and potentially support the development of treatments.

💬 “Some cases may be driven by the sweat glands themselves, while others appear to originate in the nervous system. Understanding those differences is critical if we’re going to develop more effective treatments,” said Malcolm Brock, researcher at John Hopkins and co-leader of the study published in Science Advances.

Read more: https://www.eara.eu/news/study-in-mice-finds-genetic-root-of-excessive-sweating

A study in Belgium and the US has discovered a genetic cause for excessive sweating using mice and patient samples, which can reduce the stigma around the condition and potentially support the development of treatments. Excessive sweating is estimated to affect two to five per cent of the population...

04/08/2026

The brain continuously produces waste that must be removed to maintain healthy function. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays a central role in this process by carrying away proteins such as those that, when accumulated, cause Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Although it was known that much of this waste drains to the lymph nodes, it has remained unclear how it works.

Researchers in the IBS. Institute for Basic Science, through advanced imaging in mice and analysis of post-mortem monkey's brain tissue, have identified microscopic openings in a protective layer of the brain that allow the spinal fluid to drain waste.

💬 Gou Young Koh, lead author of the study published in Cell, said: “Our findings show that [the arachnoid membrane] also contains specialized gateways that allow cerebrospinal fluid to enter the lymphatic system. Understanding how these gateways change with aging opens new opportunities for studying brain waste clearance and neurological disease.”

Read more: https://www.eara.eu/news/study-in-mice-and-monkeys-identifies-new-brain-waste-pathway

Researchers in South Korea have identified, in mice and cynomolgus monkeys, microscopic openings in a protective layer of the brain that allow the spinal fluid to drain waste. The brain continuously produces waste that must be removed to maintain healthy function. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays a c...